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Producer, composer, keyboardist, recording artist, engineer and musical director, Raymond Jones has died.No details have been given on how he died, but he had been ill. He was born and raised in New York City. He got his big break when his friend Tony Thompson introduced him to Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards who at the time were forming Chic. Jones joined the band and toured the world with Chic. He played on songs like Good Times by Chic, Upside Down by Diana Ross and We Are Family by Sister Sledge. He performed and recorded with rock artist Nona Hendryx, too. He worked under the guidance of producer, George Duke and he became music producer for Stephanie Mills and Angela Bofill and others. He has written for Whitney Houston and Patti Labelle. Raymond recorded his first solo CD “Acts of Love” in 1997 for independent label UEG. After that, he took a position from July 1997 to March 1998 as music director for the Keenan Ivory Wayans late night talk show on FOX network nationwide. Jones released his second CD “Naked Soul” in 1999. In 2001, Jones released his third solo CD “Intimate” which got rave reviews. He went on to release a total of 5 CDs. Raymond will truly be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans. R.I.P.

The second part of Oprah’s “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular” event was filled with high-profile singers, actors, and journalists, but surprisingly they were not the stars of yesterdays show. There is no doubt that the spotlight moment of the show was when Oprah was honored by a group of scholars from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tyler Perry began the tribute by acknowledging how Oprah has helped thousands of young people throughout the country go to college, and amongst these students are more than 400 African American men from Morehouse College that she sent to school on scholarship. Perry then announced that some of the recipients of the scholarship came to participate in the farewell celebration. Following this, hundreds of recipients of the scholarship began to fill the stage and aisles of the United Center carrying electric candles. These candles symbolized the importance of allowing one man to complete his education and build a new life.
One of the 400 men who was blessed to receive the scholarship and appear on yesterday’s show was Parnell Minter, who is from my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Watch the video describing his once in a lifetime experience.

The rapper Common was invited to take part in a White House poetry event on Wednesday, angering some GOP members who claim the hip-hop artist’s lyrics celebrate violence.

Last night’s “Evening of Poetry,” part of Michelle Obama’s White House Music Series, reportedly went smoothly, showcasing performers like singer Aimee Mann, comedian Steve Martin, and former poets laureate Billy Collins and Rita Dove.

But some right-wing pundits criticized Common’s participation in the event, pointing to controversial rhymes he recited on a 2007 episode of HBO’s “Def Poetry”: “Why they messing with Saddam? / burn a Bush cos’ for peace he push no button / killing over oil and grease / no weapons of destruction,” ABC News reports.

Karl Rove railed against the inclusion of Common on the radio program “The Sean Hannity Show” on Tuesday, calling the rapper “a thug.”

“Yes, let’s invite a misogynist to the White House, a guy who’s called for violence against police officers, and called for killing the former president of the United States George W. Bush,” Rove said, according to ABC.

It was recently announced that Tracee Ellis Ross (”Girlfriends”) and Malcom Jamal Warner (”The Cosby Show”) have just signed on to do a new BET show. The series, “Reed Between the Lines” is scheduled to premiere October 2011, and will join “The Game” and “Let’s Stay Together,” the popular comedies which have both been renewed for a second season.

To me this has been a long time coming, I totally wish I lived in Dc for this reunion. These are two incredibly talented artists. W.Ellington Felton & Raheem Devaughn will perform songs from the Crossrhodes collaboration albums